Senator’s letter urges Administration to request highest possible funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program that helps Arizona families afford high home energy bills
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and a bipartisan group of Senators urged the Administration to request the highest possible funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that assists lower-income Arizona families with their high energy bills.
“LIHEAP provides vulnerable Arizonans with critical support for their energy bills during our hot summer months. We’re urging the Administration to request the highest level of funding to continue providing this essential service to Arizona seniors and families,” said Sinema.
LIHEAP assists Arizona families with home energy bills as well as weatherization and energy-related minor home repairs. Sinema’s bipartisan letter emphasizes the need for bolstered funding as the number of households eligible for LIHEAP assistance continues to exceed available resources.
Congress included a $1 billion supplemental for LIHEAP in the continuing resolution (CR) so the program would be able to help low-income families pay their fall heating bills. Of that additional funding, Arizona received approximately $14 million. The highest possible funding – as requested by the Senators’ letter – would be more than $5 billion.
Sinema has consistently supported LIHEAP funding to help vulnerable Arizonans afford the costs of high home energy bills in the hot summer months. Earlier this year, Sinema penned a letter urging Congressional Appropriations Leaders of both parties to support the Senate’s bipartisan version of LIHEAP to ensure fair and appropriate support to help Arizona families. Last year,-Sinema joined a group of bipartisan Senators in pressing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to quickly disburse previously-approved LIHEAP funding.
In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law – which Sinema wrote, negotiated, and ushered into law – the Senator secured $500 million for LIHEAP over five years. Of that funding, Arizona received $1,765,584 in Fiscal Year 2022 alone.
To read Sinema’s full letter, click HERE.